Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-06-11
oURHfTER SUPPLY 4SD THE SEWER
AGE PROBLEM.

Orr HfTER SUPPLY And The SEH En-
AGE PROBLEM.
Our water supply tor lack of it, ami
the question a to what shall be done with
the refuse matter and filth of the city. are
so CLOSELY copnected with each other As 10
make them really two factors of one great
problem. the solution of which is of in
mrnse and vital Importance to the people
of this city-of much more Importance
than any other problem of public nature.
Ii is of far more importance than cheap
fuel. street paving. local Indebtedness or
TAXATION, at anything else that could be
considered II is u matter involving the
safety Of the city from conhsgrstion. and
it is \ matter Of life or death with the citi-
zens.
|. We must and ,rW hare GH adequate
sfppiV nf jurc Cdicr' We have q natural,
moral and physical right 10 ii. Water
comes from heaven and belongs to men. |!
should be As free rs air. Water rights do
not come 10 individuals from God Al
mighty: they are acquired by men. from
men, under conditions, and when they are
81 managed that they are in the way Of
public interests, OF in any way become Oh
Structive 10 public safety. they must he
abrogated. Yet individuals have acquired
certain legal rights and privileges and these
must, under a system Of law and govern
ment. be recognized and legal demands and
privileges legally met and satisfied, and
legal claims eNtinguished. The city Df
Springfield needs H,c TGfcr from its netC
SpHrcs Df >nppih and it "wgh Ia hare.
not merely hJ.os" gallons 1t dny. bat al
there il il, il. And the city OF Springfield
must have if.
Unfortunately the city and certain par
ties are engaged in a legal contest over le-
gal points and rights at issue. MeSSrs.
Warder n Barnett, p. F. Mast. John Foos
and Others, have water rights which they
claim are infringed upon by pumping from
the new well in the eastern part OF the
city. II these gentlemen We're thieves and
scoundrels. still these rights whatever
they are or may be proved to be-would
hold good and it would be- obligatory on the
the part of the city to recognize them; Ger
tainly is this all the more true when the
Warders, Mr.. Barnett, MIR. Mast, Mr. Foos
and others are among our most honored and
useful citizens. But these gentlemen are
also residents and property-holders They
need protection from hire for their large and
factories, quite as much as
do other citizens and. therefore. they. /,
in large sense. represent both of the
conflicting interests in this contest. With
their legal rights a 10 water privileges we
iu not need Ia concern ourselves. Law is |
III A'iiN hiotNi. -HfNNiN. 7" al
der, Barnett Mast. Foes et al. are ablIn- |
iantly able TO protect their own rights. The
IuestionS for the citizens TO decide are
How shall We secure at the least cost, and
BY the most direct methods, all ample. un-
Instructed, undisputei water supply Can
Ne secure il by lighting our way through
lie courts, or-Can it be- secured better by
,rarabie negotiation, with gentlemen who
Ire good citizens?
We cannot answer this question. 1t is
"r our citizens and ALTO answer ii.
.ccording Ia their best Judgment, as To their
reeds and rights.
IL. We mast hdrG pure atmosphere,
Is ,reII as pure trntsr. A large proper
ion of the diseases which have prevailed
ere. for the past few years. have been the
eadly fruit of the breathing of a poisoned
and of the use of poisoned
'5utf- iIt lfutii ol til'N - aahittfu pi
Ii men of Intelligence and SENSE The
iater supplied by the water works is pro
Ounced pure by experts. We now only
eed enough of it-an unrestricted supply. I
he atmosphere. however. is still impure,
nd the hundreds of cases of fevers. diph
leria, Gf frsfcra-amnuating at times to all
the fruit Of this impurity.
his deadly agency comes from foul
rertS and in the form OF stencil from
alter closets and the refuse matter on the
rrmiseS of citizens.
But. il is said. We have sewers. Let the !
ater rights of Messrs Warder. Barnett.
ast and Fuos be extinguished; then let all
DStructionS be removed from the Lagonda
eek and then le' the refuse matter of the
~ be ran through the sewers into the
eek. II is our opinion that this ought not
be done The filth OF this entire city
Ight not Ia be poured into the l.agOnda ,
breed peStilence not only III the atmo>- !
Iere Of the city but through the portion
the country along its course. The filth i
ON wafer closets should not go into our
werS-and il cannot 20 into them I,
thout imperiIling the health and 4
e of our citizens. We have
ientifc and chemical processes. now in |;
e here. by means of which the filth is !
ken from water closets. from time to .
ne. without injecting the atmosphere. II
d the matter is chemically treated and .